What are your breastfeeding goals?

As an IBCLC(International Board Certified Lactation Consultant), my priority is to help facilitate a healthy breastfeeding relationship with you and your baby, based on your personal goals. If you are having trouble, especially in the beginning, I know how difficult and at times isolating that can feel. Getting help right away increases your chance of preserving and maintaining breastfeeding as much and for as long as you are hoping for.

An International Board Certified Lactation Consultant can make an impact by:

• Helping mothers develop skills and techniques to ensure breastfeeding goes well
• Providing expertise in the management of breastfeeding challenges
• Training other healthcare workers using current evidence based knowledge
• Collaborating with other healthcare workers to meet the family’s needs
• Investigating and participating in research
• Educating policy makers on the economic and health benefits of breastfeeding
• Advocating for services to support breastfeeding

Tips for new and experienced moms…

Whether you’re bringing home baby to a calm house of three or a packed house of ten, it is a change! Here are some tips from your lactation consultant to help you get through the first few days and weeks..

REST up. Take advantage of any extra help you may have and take some breaks. This is a time when partners might have some time off from work, neighbors offer to bring dinners, and grandparents will gladly stop by to hold their new grandbaby! Accept any and all offers of help and instead of staying up to answer texts and emails, call it quits! Snuggle those babies and get to bed! You’ll thank me in the morning.

Eat Mama, EAT! Remember as a nursing mama you need extra calories, just make some healthy decisions and be sure to indulge a little, you deserve it! If you don’t have much of an appetite, try having small snacks to nibble on throughout the day-cut up fruits and veggies, protein packed mini-meals, etc.. Eating well and drinking plenty of water will keep that energy going.

Now that we’ve addressed mom eating, let’s not forget about that sweet baby! Babies are always the first to get passed around at family gatherings and with all the “ooohhhs and aaaaaahs” over baby, feeding cues can be missed or not recognized. Sticking to your normal feeding patterns-even if that means stepping away where you and baby will be more comfortable-is essential to not only making it through, but enjoying the special first couple of weeks at home with lots of visitors.

Worried about germs? There are a couple of things you can do. First, people should be washing their hands anyway but If you need to, insist it, and while you’re at it some hand sanitizer may be helpful too. It’s your choice as mama to decide who gets to handle your baby. If you really want to avoid passing your little one around consider wearing a baby sling or wrap. People will be less likely to pry a baby off of you…

Have some relatives who like broadcast their opinions? Concerned about a breastfeeding issue you may be experiencing? There is support out there! Some of my go-to resources online are kellymom.org and askdrsears.com. Offline, you can call the Nursing Mothers Alliance warmline (610.251.9405) and a trained, nursing mother counselor will call you back.

*Wishing you all a very peaceful and happy special first few weeks a home*